Declaration of Principles

As members of the Republican Study Committee of Colorado, we commit ourselves to advancing the constitutions of the United States and Colorado, the principles of our historic republic, mainstream American values and the Republican platform. We agree to support the bylaws of the Committee. We agree to use the following guiding principles as our standards for drafting and voting on legislation:

Individual Liberty
The rights of American citizens proceed from The Creator, not from the government. Government authority proceeds only from the consent of the People. Individuals, including the unborn, have the intrinsic right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. All citizens should have the freedom to decide their own religion and worldview and to acknowledge God individually and collectively within the public square, without hindrance or coercion from government.

Personal Responsibility
Individuals and families are responsible for their behavior. Public policy should encourage and empower their efforts to provide for their own health, safety, education, moral fortitude and personal wealth.

Limited Government
Federal, state and local governments should be limited to their respective roles, in accordance with the Tenth Amendment. The size of government, government regulations, and entitlement and transfer programs, should be limited to essential, inherently governmental functions.

Peace Through Strength and the Rule of Law
National security, national sovereignty, public safety, the right of self-defense, the rule of constitutional and statutory law, and civil justice should be preserved without excessive burdens to civil liberty. The State should enforce policies that reduce illegal immigration, enforce Federal immigration laws and reduce the flow of dangerous and illegal drugs.

Free Markets and Commerce
The rights of free enterprise, private property ownership and private control should not be infringed. Public policy should encourage a vibrant economy, business competition, and private sector job growth. Industrial, technological, agricultural and energy innovation should be encouraged. Workers have the right to join voluntary associations or unions without coercion or involuntary diversions of their dues for political activities.

Lower Taxes
Individuals, families and the government should be responsible in their spending. Hard working taxpayers expect the government to be efficient and avoid waste with their money. The State should only collect taxes from citizens to fund legitimate government functions. Government taxes and fees should be limited to essential, inherently-governmental functions and not for the forced redistribution of wealth, disproportionate advantages for targeted interest groups, or partisan political gain.

Family Integrity and the American Moral Tradition
Traditional American families should be encouraged and supported by policies to nurture strong marriages, to support mainstream moral values, and to create, control and maintain their individual wealth with minimal interference from the government.

Faith-Based Institutions
Church, synagogue, and faith-based charities that care for the poor, sick and needy should be recognized and encouraged by state policy and should not be restricted from their participation and influence in the public square.

Quality Education
Parents should have the right to rear and educate their children according to high standards of character and quality, with minimal government interference. Parents are ultimately responsible for their family’s education and should be able to choose among traditional, charter, home school, on-line, private, or other alternative schools. School children should not be restricted in their rights to voluntary prayer, religious expression, and acknowledgement of God, the American flag, the Pledge of Allegiance, the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Higher education should foster academic excellence, respect for Western civilization and academic freedom without indoctrination or political coercion. Academic tenure should not be used as a vehicle to abuse authority, academic integrity or professional ethics.

Western Conservation
Public Policy should encourage effective water, soil and energy conservation, pollution control, healthy forests, wildfire protection, public access to government lands and the preservation of the legacy of the natural resources and the natural beauty of Colorado. Private property rights encourage stewardship of resources. Government subsidies and eminent domain often degrade the environment. Market incentives spur individuals to conserve resources and protect environmental quality. Polluters should be liable for the harm they cause others.

Legislative Integrity
Legislators should lead through personal moral integrity, and should consider this Declaration of Principles responsibly before supporting legislation. If proposed legislation violates these principles, is not clearly understood, or undermines the common good, it should be rejected regardless of political pressures of personal loss or gain.